Sintra saves the day!
Trip Start
Aug 30, 2009
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3
25
Trip End
Oct 26, 2009
Sintra, Estremadura, Portugal
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Sintra, however... Sintra truly is a great town!
Abby and I took a day trip to Sintra on Friday before catching our late night train to Madrid.
In 1809 Lord Byron wrote to his friend Francis Hodgson, "I must just observe that the village of Cintra in Estremadura is the most beautiful in the world."
I'm not sure it's the most beautiful place in the world... but it's certainly one of them, and at least a good 10 degrees cooler than Lisbon :-)
We started the day with a coffee and espresso... and shared one of the famous pastries that the Lisbon area is known for breakfast. I'm sure we walked it all off throughout the day.
Sintra is lush and all the buildings are pastel colored and fresh looking. The whole area is peaceful and serene. At the top of the hill there are a few sights to see. We visited the Palácio Nacional de Sintra and it was amazing. It is surrounded by trees and lakes and secret walkways. At the top the palace is pastel - yellow, purple, pinkish orange - looks like a fairy-tale. Amazing views from the top.
After the roller coaster ride, i mean, bus ride down the rocky hillside of the Palace, we had to head back to Lisbon to grab our things and head to Madrid.
If you go to Lisbon, you must, must, must take a day trip to Sintra... better yet, STAY in Sintra, and take a day trip to Lisbon.
